38. Chapter 38

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच अथाखिलजगज्जालक्रमपालनदेवनः । क्षीरोदनगरे शेषशय्यासनगतो हरिः ॥ १ ॥

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca athākhilajagajjālakramapālanadevanaḥ | kṣīrodanagare śeṣaśayyāsanagato hariḥ || 1 ||

Vasishtha continued:—Now Hari who slept on his couch of the snake, in his watery mansion of the Milky ocean, and whose delight it was to preserve the order of all the groups of worlds;—

प्रावृण्निद्राव्युपरमे देवार्थमरिसूदनः । धिया विलोकयामास कदाचिज्जागतीं गतिम् ॥ २ ॥

prāvṛṇnidrāvyuparame devārthamarisūdanaḥ | dhiyā vilokayāmāsa kadācijjāgatīṃ gatim || 2 ||

Looked into the course of world in his own mind, after he rose from his sleep at the end of the rainy season for achieving the objects of the gods.

त्रिविष्टपं स्वमनसा पार्थिवं चावलोक्य सः । आचारमाजगामाशु पातालमरिपालितम् ॥ ३ ॥

triviṣṭapaṃ svamanasā pārthivaṃ cāvalokya saḥ | ācāramājagāmāśu pātālamaripālitam || 3 ||

He surveyed at a glance of his thought the state of the triple world, composed of the heaven, the earth and the regions below; and then directed his attention to the affairs of the infernal regions of the demons.

तत्र स्थिरसमाधाने स्थिते प्रह्लाददानवे । दृष्ट्वा संपदमिन्द्रस्य पुरे प्रौढिमुपागताम् ॥ ४ ॥

tatra sthirasamādhāne sthite prahlādadānave | dṛṣṭvā saṃpadamindrasya pure prauḍhimupāgatām || 4 ||

He beheld Prahlada sitting there in his intense hypnotic meditation, and then looked into the increasing prosperity of Indra's palace.

व्यालतल्पतलस्थस्य क्षीरोदार्णवशायिनः । शङ्खचक्रगदापाणेर्देहस्यान्तरचारिणः ॥ ५ ॥

vyālatalpatalasthasya kṣīrodārṇavaśāyinaḥ | śaṅkhacakragadāpāṇerdehasyāntaracāriṇaḥ || 5 ||

Sitting as he was on his serpentine couch in the Milky Ocean, with his arms holding the conch-shell, the discus, and the club and lotus in his four hands;—

पद्मासनस्थस्य मनः शरीरेणातिभास्वता । इदं संचिन्तयामास त्रैलोक्यालमहालिना ॥ ६ ॥

padmāsanasthasya manaḥ śarīreṇātibhāsvatā | idaṃ saṃcintayāmāsa trailokyālamahālinā || 6 ||

He thought in his brilliant mind and in his posture of padmasana, about the states of the three worlds, as the fluttering bee inspects into the state of the lotus.

प्रह्लादे पदविश्रान्ते पाताले गतनायके । कष्टं सृष्टिरियं प्रायो निर्दैत्यत्वमुपागता ॥ ७ ॥

prahlāde padaviśrānte pātāle gatanāyake | kaṣṭaṃ sṛṣṭiriyaṃ prāyo nirdaityatvamupāgatā || 7 ||

He saw Prahlada immerged in his hypnotism, and the infernal regions left without a leader; and beheld the world was about to be devoid of the Daitya race.

दैत्याभावे सुरश्रेणी निर्जिगीषुपदं गता । शममेष्यत्यदृष्टाब्दपटलेषु सरिद्यथा ॥ ८ ॥

daityābhāve suraśreṇī nirjigīṣupadaṃ gatā | śamameṣyatyadṛṣṭābdapaṭaleṣu saridyathā || 8 ||

This want of the demons, thought he, was likely to cool the military ardour of the Devas; as the want of clouds serves to dry up the waters on earth.

मोक्षाख्यं निर्गतद्वन्द्वं ततो यास्यति तत्पदम् । क्षीणाभिमानविरसा लतेव प्रविशुष्कताम् ॥ ९ ॥

mokṣākhyaṃ nirgatadvandvaṃ tato yāsyati tatpadam | kṣīṇābhimānavirasā lateva praviśuṣkatām || 9 ||

Liberation which is obtained by privation of dualism and egoism, brings a man to that state of asceticism; as the want of moisture tends to dry up and deaden the promising plant.

देवौघे शान्तिमायाते भुवि यज्ञतपःक्रियाः । अदेवत्वफलाः सर्वाः शममेष्यन्त्यसंशयम् ॥ १० ॥

devaughe śāntimāyāte bhuvi yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ | adevatvaphalāḥ sarvāḥ śamameṣyantyasaṃśayam || 10 ||

The Gods being at rest and contented in themselves, there will be no need of sacrifices and offerings to please and appease them; and this will eventually lead to the extinction of the gods.

क्रियास्वथोपशान्तासु भूर्लोकोऽस्तमुपैष्यति । असंसारप्रसङ्गोऽथ तस्य नाशे भविष्यति ॥ ११ ॥

kriyāsvathopaśāntāsu bhūrloko'stamupaiṣyati | asaṃsāraprasaṅgo'tha tasya nāśe bhaviṣyati || 11 ||

The religious and sacrificial rites, being at an end among mankind, will bring on (owing to their impiety), the destruction of human race, which will cause the desolation of the earth.

आकल्पान्तं त्रिभुवनं यदिदं कल्पितं मया । नाशमेष्यत्यकालेन तापे हिमकणो यथा ॥ १२ ॥

ākalpāntaṃ tribhuvanaṃ yadidaṃ kalpitaṃ mayā | nāśameṣyatyakālena tāpe himakaṇo yathā || 12 ||

किमेवमस्मिन्नाभोगे विलीय क्षयमागते । कृतं मयेह भवति स्वलीलाक्षयकारिणा ॥ १३ ॥

kimevamasminnābhoge vilīya kṣayamāgate | kṛtaṃ mayeha bhavati svalīlākṣayakāriṇā || 13 ||

What is the good of my providence, if I were to allow this plenteous earth to go to ruin by my neglect?

ततोऽहमपि शून्येऽस्मिन्नष्टचन्द्रार्कतारके । वपुःप्रशान्तिमाधाय स्थितिमेष्यामि तत्पदे ॥ १४ ॥

tato'hamapi śūnye'sminnaṣṭacandrārkatārake | vapuḥpraśāntimādhāya sthitimeṣyāmi tatpade || 14 ||

What can I have to do in this empty void of the world, after the extinction of these created beings into nothing, than to charge my active nature to a state of cold inactivity, and lose myself into the anaesthesia of final liberation or insensibility.

अकाण्ड एवमेवं हि जगत्युपशमं गते । नेह श्रेयो न पश्यामि मन्ये जीवन्तु दानवाः ॥ १५ ॥

akāṇḍa evamevaṃ hi jagatyupaśamaṃ gate | neha śreyo na paśyāmi manye jīvantu dānavāḥ || 15 ||

I see no good in the untimely dissolution of the order of the world, and would therefore have the Daityas live to its end.

दैत्योद्योगेन विबुधास्ततो यज्ञतपःक्रियाः । तेन संसारसंस्थानं न संसारक्रमोऽन्यथा ॥ १६ ॥

daityodyogena vibudhāstato yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ | tena saṃsārasaṃsthānaṃ na saṃsārakramo'nyathā || 16 ||

It is owing to the struggles of the demons, that the deities are worshipped with sacrifices and other religious rites for their preservation of the earth; therefore they are necessary for the continuation of these practices in it.

तस्माद्रसातलं गत्वा यथावत्स्थापयाम्यहम् । स्वे क्रमे दानवाधीशमृतुः पुनरिव द्रुमम् ॥ १७ ॥

tasmādrasātalaṃ gatvā yathāvatsthāpayāmyaham | sve krame dānavādhīśamṛtuḥ punariva drumam || 17 ||

I shall have therefore to visit the nether world, and restore it to its right order; and appoint the lord of the demons to the observance of his proper duties; in the manner of the season of spring returning to fructify the trees.

विना प्रह्लादमथ चेदितरं दानवेश्वरम् । करोमि तदसौ मन्ये देवानासादयिष्यति ॥ १८ ॥

vinā prahlādamatha ceditaraṃ dānaveśvaram | karomi tadasau manye devānāsādayiṣyati || 18 ||

If I raise any other Daitya to the chieftainship of the demons, and leave Prahlada in the act of his meditation; it is sure that he will disturb the Devas, instead of bearing obedience to them. Because no demon can get rid of his demoniac nature like Prahlada.

प्रह्लादस्य त्वयं देहः पश्चिमः पावनो महान् । आकल्पमिह वस्तव्यं देहेनानेन तेन च ॥ १९ ॥

prahlādasya tvayaṃ dehaḥ paścimaḥ pāvano mahān | ākalpamiha vastavyaṃ dehenānena tena ca || 19 ||

Prahlada is to live to old age in his sacred person, and to reside therein to the end of the kalpa age, with this very body of his.

एवं हि नियतिर्देवी निश्चिता पारमेश्वरी । प्रह्लादेन यथाकल्पं स्थातव्यमिह देहिना ॥ २० ॥

evaṃ hi niyatirdevī niścitā pārameśvarī | prahlādena yathākalpaṃ sthātavyamiha dehinā || 20 ||

So it is determined by Destiny, the divine and overruling goddess; that Prahlada will continue to reign to the end of the kalpa, in this very body of his.

तस्मात्तमेव गत्वा तु दैत्येन्द्रं बोधयाम्यहम् । गर्जन्गिरिनदीसुप्तं मयूरमिव वारिदः ॥ २१ ॥

tasmāttameva gatvā tu daityendraṃ bodhayāmyaham | garjangirinadīsuptaṃ mayūramiva vāridaḥ || 21 ||

I must therefore go, and awaken the Daitya chief from his trance, as the roaring cloud rouses the sleepy peacocks, on the tops of hills and banks of rivers.

जीवनमुक्तसमाधिस्थः करोत्वसुरनाथताम् । मणिर्मुक्तमनस्कारः प्रतिबिम्बक्रियामिव ॥ २२ ॥

jīvanamuktasamādhisthaḥ karotvasuranāthatām | maṇirmuktamanaskāraḥ pratibimbakriyāmiva || 22 ||

Let that self ridden (swayam-mukta) and somnolent (samadhistha) prince, reign unconcerned (amanaskara) over the Daitya race; as the unconscious pearl reflects the colours of its adjacent objects.

नहि नश्यति सर्गोऽयमेवं सह सुरासुरैः । भविष्यति च तद्द्वन्द्वं तन्मे क्रीडा भविष्यति ॥ २३ ॥

nahi naśyati sargo'yamevaṃ saha surāsuraiḥ | bhaviṣyati ca taddvandvaṃ tanme krīḍā bhaviṣyati || 23 ||

By this means both the gods and demigods, will be preserved on the face of the earth; and their mutual contention for superiority, will furnish occasion for the display of my prowess.

सर्गक्षयोदयावेतौ सुसमौ मम यद्यपि । तथापीदं यथासंस्थं भवत्वन्येन किं मम ॥ २४ ॥

sargakṣayodayāvetau susamau mama yadyapi | tathāpīdaṃ yathāsaṃsthaṃ bhavatvanyena kiṃ mama || 24 ||

Though the creation and destruction of the world, be indifferent to me; yet its continuation in the primordial order, is of much concern to others, if not to my insusceptible self.

भावाभावेषु यत्तुल्यं तन्नाशे तत्स्थितौ च वा । यः प्रयत्नस्त्वबुद्धित्वात्तद्योगगमनं भवेत् ॥ २५ ॥

bhāvābhāveṣu yattulyaṃ tannāśe tatsthitau ca vā | yaḥ prayatnastvabuddhitvāttadyogagamanaṃ bhavet || 25 ||

Whatever is alike in its existence and inexistence, is the same also in both its gain and loss (to the indifferent soul). Any effort for having any thing is mere foolishness; since addition and subtraction presuppose one another.

तस्मात्प्रयामि पातालं बोधयाम्यसुरेश्वरम् । स्थैर्यं यामि न संसारलीलां संपादयाम्यहम् ॥ २६ ॥

tasmātprayāmi pātālaṃ bodhayāmyasureśvaram | sthairyaṃ yāmi na saṃsāralīlāṃ saṃpādayāmyaham || 26 ||

I shall therefore hasten to the infernal region, and awaken the Daitya prince to the sense of his duty; and then will I resume my calmness, and not play about on the stage of the world like the ignorant.

असुरपुरमवाप्य प्रोद्धताचारघोरं कमलमिव विवस्वान्दैत्यमुद्बोधयामः । जगदिदमखिलं स्वस्थैर्यमभ्यानयामो घनविधिरिव शैले चञ्चलं मेघजालम् ॥ २७ ॥

asurapuramavāpya proddhatācāraghoraṃ kamalamiva vivasvāndaityamudbodhayāmaḥ | jagadidamakhilaṃ svasthairyamabhyānayāmo ghanavidhiriva śaile cañcalaṃ meghajālam || 27 ||

I will proceed to the city of the Asuras amidst their tumultuous violence, and rouse the Daitya prince as the sunshine raises the drooping lotus; and I shall bring the people to order and union, as the rainy season collects the fleeting clouds on the summits of mountains.